by Shirley Jump
“She’s happy, isn’t she?” Heather said. “That’s the most important thing.”
Lindsay watched Walker’s features almost...melt. He was far from a natural with the baby, but within a few seconds, he was swaying gently left to right, holding Georgina against his chest like she’d always been there. Lindsay’s resolve to hate Walker crumbled at the sight of the tiny, vulnerable child in the arms of the tall, strong bachelor. For a second, she could imagine him holding a baby of his own and doing all the things a dad would do, singing the songs, telling the bedtime stories, tucking the covers around the baby. Their baby.
Her mind froze. Where had that thought come from? What was wrong with her? She’d just lost the most important case of her young career to this man. How could she let the sight of him holding a baby change anything?
But it did, and she couldn’t seem to find it in her to be mad at him another second. “Georgina really seems to like you,” Lindsay said. “She doesn’t settle down easily with other people.”
“But why...” Walker’s voice was soft, still tinged with surprise. “Why did she want me to hold her?”
“Our little girl is a stubborn fighter,” Heather said. She clasped her husband’s hand and the two of them smiled. “And she seems to have a good instinct for people. We might have walked into this courtroom determined to hate you, Mr. Jones, but then you made that generous offer and...”
“And we realized you’re not some coldhearted CEO,” Peter finished. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The gratitude seemed to make Walker more uncomfortable than holding the baby. He suddenly shifted Georgina back into Heather’s arms, then handed a business card to Peter. Walker cleared his throat, stiffened his spine and went back to being a tough CEO. “Fax the bills to my office and I will pay them as soon as I get back to Tulsa. Out of my personal funds, not my business.”
Peter shook his head. “Mr. Jones, that’s very generous, but—”
“You all went through a lot, Mr. Marshall, Mrs. Marshall.” Walker’s gaze included each of them, then paused and lingered on Georgina. A smile ghosted across Walker’s face. “And I hope this helps your family heal and move forward.”
Then he turned on his heel and left the courtroom. Leaving Lindsay surprised, confused and stunned.
Chapter Nine
Walker should have been on a plane heading back to Tulsa. His work here in Rust Creek Falls was done, the lawsuit settled. Due to yesterday’s holiday, he was facing a cramped and shortened workweek, with scores of emails to answer, calls to make, meetings to schedule.
Yet he lingered.
Half of him hoped Lindsay would come back and say now that the lawsuit was over, she wanted to date him. But she had climbed in her car immediately after she left the courthouse and was gone before he had a chance to even wave goodbye.
He couldn’t really blame her. He had, after all, won against her in court and was probably the last person she wanted to see right now. His victory rang hollow, though, and left Walker feeling not like he won, but that he had lost something very hard to find.
After thanking Marty, Walker got in his rental car and headed across town to Hudson’s house, a ranch he was renting outside of town. He could have headed for the day care, but chances were better than good that Hudson was at home, especially with Bella in place as the full-time manager. That freed Hudson even more from his responsibilities. Walker knew his younger brother, and knew full well “responsible” wasn’t on his personal résumé.
As expected, Hudson’s car sat in the driveway. He parked, then strode up the walkway and to the door. His brother answered after the first knock. “Hey, Walker. I was just heading out.”
“On a date?”
Hudson shook his head. “No, heading to the stables to help with the horses for a bit. When I get stressed, that just kind of re-centers me.”
That surprised Walker. Maybe he’d been misjudging Hudson.
“Do you have a minute? So we can talk?”
Hudson hesitated, clearly still leery of another lecture from his brother. Then he stepped back and opened the door wider. “All right. But really, just for a minute.”
Walker headed inside. For years, Walker had thought he and Hudson were polar opposites. But in the few days he’d been in Rust Creek Falls, he’d seen changes in Hudson. His brother, whom he’d always thought of as the irresponsible one, was investing in the ranch in Wyoming, in this town. Maybe they had more in common than he’d thought. A part of him wanted to stay right here and spend more time with Hudson, just two brothers hanging out. No business between them, nothing but friendly banter and maybe a couple games of basketball.
What was wrong with him? Was he losing his edge, his drive for corporate success? He held a baby for a few minutes and now he was wondering how he could have it all? He was good at his job, good at running his company. He didn’t have time or room for anything else.
Even if, for a brief moment, he’d envied Peter and Heather Marshall and their close bond, as a couple, as a family. Even if when he’d held their baby, he had looked at Lindsay and wondered what it would be like if they were a couple. If that was their baby with soft blond curls and rosy cheeks.
But these were insane thoughts. He told himself he was better off focusing on work, on reality. Not on pipe dreams best reserved for others.
Back on track, he followed Hudson into the living room and sat in an oversize chocolate leather armchair. Hudson seemed antsy and glanced at the door every half second, while Walker, patient and stern, tried to get him to focus. Pretty much the way the two of them had been all their lives.
“Listen, I know you have this ranch in Wyoming you’re helping, but I really need you to step up with the day care,” Walker said.
His request had nothing to do with business, with the bottom line. It was purely personal. Selfish, really. Because if Hudson took the helm at Just Us Kids, Walker wouldn’t have to return to Rust Creek Falls. Wouldn’t have to risk running into the woman he was beginning to care for—and who clearly didn’t feel the same about him.
Hudson waved away his oldest brother’s words. “You hired Bella to do that.”
“As a manager. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to get in there, too. You should know how the business is running, make sure to oversee—”
“Is this going to be another beat-up-Hudson session? Because I have better things to do.” Hudson started to get out of the chair.
“No. I’m sorry.” Walker let out a breath. He needed to stop taking out his own frustrations on his younger brother. The fact that his relationship with Lindsay had fallen apart before it even began wasn’t Hudson’s fault. He rubbed his palm over his jaw and blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m not really here to talk about the center. I came because...” He hesitated. Could he do this? He was far better at weighing assets and liabilities than he was at sharing feelings and worries. But he had come here to do a job, and Walker never backed down from a difficult situation. He took a breath and charged ahead, looking his brother right in the eye. “Because I don’t like how things stand between us.”
Hudson’s mouth opened. Closed. “Okay.”
The single word was laced with suspicion. Walker couldn’t blame him. Every conversation the two of them had had in the last few months had been confrontational. “You were right, when you told me I was treating you like Dad treats us. I don’t mean to. I get so wrapped up in business that I forget about the personal.”
“Hey, sometimes I need to be told what to do. And you have a lot on your shoulders, Walker. I wouldn’t want to be working for Dad or in charge of his company. I only have to talk to him a few times a year. You see him every day.”
Walker nodded. “And he’s just as hard on me as ever. I keep trying to prove myself to him, as if that’s going to change anything.”
&
nbsp; “The only one you need to prove something to is yourself. What matters is whether you are happy. Content. Fulfilled.”
In the last few days, he could already see a thawing in the icy wall between himself and Hudson. Maybe there was a chance to build a relationship with his brother—if Walker stayed in town long enough. Problem was, the company he helmed was in Tulsa, a company with multiple interests in several industries throughout the world. It wasn’t like he could just come here and run the day care. Jones Holdings, Inc. had an oil division, a finance division, a real estate division, and now the soon-to-be-expanded day care division.
Even if he did find a way to bring all that here, there was a woman in Rust Creek Falls who probably wished he’d crawl into a cave. Staying here and watching Lindsay pretend he didn’t exist would be painful. Maybe he should leave now. Catch the next flight out. Forget this little town, and forget one resident in particular.
“So, how’d court go today?” Hudson asked.
Walker realized he hadn’t told Hudson about the judge’s decision. He’d been so focused on getting out of there, away from Lindsay’s cold shoulder, that he hadn’t even bothered to call or text his brother. “We won. The judge decided that there was no one event the Marshalls could point to as the cause for their daughter’s illness, and cleared Just Us Kids of any negligence.”
“That’s great. So you’re completely off the hook?”
“Yes, but...” Walker let out a breath. “I didn’t feel right about winning. Those parents had a legitimate worry, and even if you can’t blame Just Us Kids, there’s nothing to say we weren’t at fault.”
“You saw how strict Bella is with the cleanliness and stuff. Chances are slim that it was the fault of the day care,” Hudson said.
“Maybe so. But I decided to pay all their medical bills anyway.” Walker shrugged. “Seemed like the least I could do.”
And still, it didn’t feel like enough. He had this sense of things being unfinished and wondered if there was something more he could do. Something that could have a bigger impact.
“You offered to pay all their bills even after you won the case?” Hudson sat back in his chair and let out a low whistle. “So, Scrooge, where did this altruistic spirit come from?”
Walker bristled. “I’m not a Scrooge.”
“You’re not exactly Mother Teresa, either.”
Walker started to argue, then shook his head. His brother was right. For years, Walker had been focused on the bottom line, the company’s net worth, the profit margin. He sought the next takeover, the next acquisition—not the next charitable outlet. But today after court he’d had an empty feeling in his chest. Giving money to the Marshalls had eased it somewhat. He couldn’t help thinking that if he gave back more, it would go away totally.
“You have a point, Hudson. I just saw how much the Marshalls loved their daughter, and thought people like that didn’t deserve to be bankrupted by something like this. I have the money to help, so I did.”
Hudson smiled. “You did the right thing. That kind of action will go far in a town like this.”
“I didn’t do it to impress the town. I did it—”
“To impress a girl?” Hudson finished, then laughed. “Hey, I can relate. I’m not above handing over my jacket on a chilly night or opening a door if it impresses a pretty girl.”
“Yeah, well, it didn’t work.” Walker envied his younger brother’s easy way with women. Maybe if Walker had a little of that charm and confidence, he could have wooed Lindsay Dalton and not left the courtroom feeling like he’d lost a limb. “That wasn’t my intent in paying for the medical bills, either. Like I said, paying for the Marshalls’ costs is just the right thing to do. Besides, the pretty girl isn’t interested in me.”
“If you’re talking about that gorgeous lawyer, I think you should keep trying. The lawsuit is done, so...” Hudson put out his hands. “What’s stopping you from going after her?”
“She’s not interested.” If he said it enough, it might stop making his chest hurt.
“She’s not interested, or you’re afraid to find out she doesn’t like your Scroogy self?” Hudson got to his feet and crossed to the door. He put a hand on the knob. “You’re fearless in business, big brother, but a scaredy-cat when it comes to women. I saw it when you were with Theresa. You always had this wall up. Like you were afraid to trust her, to really fall in love.”
“And you, the poster child for bachelorhood, are the expert on this subject?”
“Hey, just because I can give the advice doesn’t mean I have any intentions of taking it.” Hudson grinned, the same hapless grin that had gotten him out of more than one scrape. Hudson opened the door. “Now get out of here and go track her down. Before you lose your nerve and fly back to Tulsa.”
Walker got to his feet and paused by his brother. “How’d you know I was debating that very same thing?”
“We may not be close,” Hudson said, laying a hand on Walker’s shoulder, “but we are brothers. And in the end, I want you to be happy, Walker.”
Walker met his brother’s gaze, eyes so like his own it was almost like looking in a mirror. “Thanks, Hudson.”
His younger brother glanced away, as if embarrassed to be caught caring. “It’s nothing. Someday, I’m sure you’re going to come to me and give me the same speech. Assuming I ever do something stupid like grow up.”
* * *
Lindsay loved Sunday family dinners on the ranch. It was the one time when all the Daltons were together. But tonight, after her crushing loss in court hours ago, she was doubly grateful for her mother organizing a rare impromptu weeknight family meal. Maybe it would help her forget all about how she let down her clients and how Walker Jones had caught her by surprise.
Why would he go and pay for all the Marshalls’ medical expenses like that? For the hundredth time, she wondered if she was wrong about him. If maybe he wasn’t a bottom-line-driven corporate shark, but rather, a caring, conscientious man.
No, she knew better. She’d thought the same thing about Jeremy, then discovered he wanted a big-city life and a lot of zeros in his paycheck, not the simple home she had here. The last thing she needed was to let her heart soften toward another man who would disappoint her in the end. It had taken her too long to get over one shattered romance; she wouldn’t plunge into another one doomed to the same fate.
Lindsay was in the dining room, setting the table, when her father came up and put an arm around her shoulder. “Sorry about today, kiddo.”
Outside the house, a storm was raging, loud and booming. It was going to be one heck of an October thunderstorm, with drenching rains and gusty winds. The perfect night to be tucked inside the house with her family.
She paused in laying out the forks. “I really thought we had a good case.”
“You knew it was going to be an uphill battle, honey. But it’s okay. Losses teach us more than successes do.”
Lindsay scoffed. “Remind me of that when I take on my next clients.” She folded a napkin and tucked it under the silverware. “Maybe I’d be better off sticking to working on power of attorney forms and wills.”
Her father gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You have the right instincts, honey, and you have the heart of a lion. The legal world needs more of that. You’ll win the next one.”
“But I really wanted to make a difference for the Marshalls, and all those families whose babies got sick.” Instead, she’d let her clients down. Let Georgina down. Let the evil corporate giant win.
Ben turned her until she was facing him. “You did. You believed them, and supported them, and fought for them. Sometimes, that’s all people need.”
She sighed. “I hope so, Dad. I really do.”
Her father gave her a smile, then headed into the kitchen to help her mother put the finishing touches on dinne
r. Lindsay finished setting the table just as Anderson and Marina and their two kids, Jake and baby Sydney, came into the house, followed by Travis, then Lani and her fiancé, Russ. There was a flurry of greetings, then the door opened again, and Paige and Sutter walked in with their son, Carter. Right on their heels came Caleb and Mallory, with their daughter, Lily. Everyone shook off the rain and talked about the storm while dispensing hugs and kisses.
The house was loud and lively, all the siblings and in-laws exchanging small talk in a beehive of conversation. It was like the old days, when everyone lived at home and every meal was a spirited adventure. Lindsay’s mom, Mary, came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her floral apron, then hugged all her grandkids, one at a time.
“Hey, Mom, I thought I was your favorite,” Anderson said.
Mary tapped her son on his chest. “You were until I had all these adorable grandkids.”
He laughed. “I understand. Heck, all I talk about now are my kids. I’ve become one of those dads who will show off pictures of school plays and karate lessons to every hapless soul that shows even the slightest interest.”
Travis scoffed. “You’ve become a softy, you big wuss. You won’t catch me doing anything like that.”
“Anderson is not a softy,” Mary said. “You wait, Travis. One of these days you’ll be just the same, mark my words. Children are one of life’s greatest pleasures and grandkids are twice that and more.” She took her husband’s hand, then gave her family a misty smile. A second later, she was back to her normal self. “Okay, everyone, dinner’s served.”
The family piled into the dining room, with the adults crowding around the dining room table while the older kids sat at the smaller kitchen table. There were dishes passed and jokes traded, and the usual hubbub of the Dalton clan being all together. Lindsay plated her share of the roast beef dinner though she didn’t seem to have much of an appetite tonight.